{
  "id": "dwd_mgglmnwq",
  "type": "term",
  "slug": "active-metadata",
  "title": "Active metadata",
  "summary": "Metadata that triggers action as it changes, through events, rules and agents, instead of waiting to be looked up.",
  "status": "draft",
  "classification": "public",
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Shan Umasankar",
      "url": "https://dealwithdata.com",
      "role": "author"
    }
  ],
  "assisted_by": [
    "Claude"
  ],
  "scales": [
    "personal",
    "business",
    "enterprise"
  ],
  "related": [
    "dwd_cb2bgvae",
    "dwd_q3gbjug4"
  ],
  "created": "2026-10-07",
  "updated": "2026-10-07",
  "version": 1,
  "url": "https://dealwithdata.com/glossary/active-metadata/",
  "markdown_url": "https://dealwithdata.com/glossary/active-metadata.md",
  "body_markdown": "Passive metadata is documentation: someone has to go look. Active metadata emits events when it changes, and other systems subscribe and act: block a deploy that breaks a critical element, alert a steward, update an AI agent's context, reassign ownership.\n\n**Test:** if nothing breaks when the metadata is wrong, it isn't active yet.\n"
}